Sectional floating dry-dock.



, W. T. DONNELLY.

I SEGTIONAL FLOATING DRY DOCK.

APPLIOATIONIILED BEPT.17, 1910. mmzwnn JAN. 25, 1912.

I 1,019,61 1. Patented Mar.5, 1912.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 910 1,019,611.

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1 01 1 I W I r 6 IL";- ""1 1 1 WILLIAM THOMAS DONNELLY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SECTIONAL FLOATING DRY-DOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Application filed September 17, 1910, Serial No. 582,514. Renewed January 25, 1912. Serial No. 673,495.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM THOMAS DONNELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing in- Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sectional Floating Dry-Docks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to floating dry docks, particularly to that type known as sectional floating dry docks, which consists of a plurality of sections, connected together, each section constituting a dock and being adapted to be disconnected and used separately. Heretofore the sections have usually been connected together by means of links, the ends of which are secured to the adjacent ends of the pontoons, with the unsatisfactory result that the connection is insecure, the adjacent ends of the sections are not held spaced apart and are never in even approximate alinement and therefore will not properly dock a vessel or hold it steady after being docked.

My invention therefore has for its object to obviate the defects in the type of dock above referred to, by providing a sectional floating dry dock having means adapted to securely and flexibly connect the adjacent ends of the sections together and means adapted to positively hold the adjacent ends of the sections in practically perfect alinement in all directions, and also positively hold them spaced apart, thus insuring that it will properly dock a vessel and hold it steady when docked.

It has for a still further object to provide a device of the character above set forth which is simple and strong in construction and absolutely reliable in operation.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of my invention, partly broken away and in section. Fig. 2, a plan view. Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical sectional View, on an enlarged scale, of one of the spacing and alining devices. Fig. 4, a fragmentary end view of one of the wings, on an enlarged scale, showing one member of the spacing and alining device. Fig. 5, a fragmentary end View of one of the wings, on an enlarged scale, showing the other member of the spacing and alining device.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts, 1 and 2 designate the sections of a sectional floating dry dock, of which there may be any number, each constituting a dock which can be used independently and formed of hollow wooden pontoons 3 and 4, of which there may be any number, connected rigidly together at their ends by hollow metal air and water-tight sides or wings 5 secured thereon by bolts. To provide means for the passage of water during the operation of the dock, from the pontoons into the wings and vice versa, openings 6 are provided in the bottoms of the wings registering with the openings 7 in the tops of the pontoons and. to provide means for air to escape from the wings as the water enters, from the pontoons, openings 8 are provided in the tops of the wings. The pontoons are designed to be applied with the usual keel blocks and bilge blocks to support a ship, with water inlets and outlets and valves therefor to ermit water to be admitted to the dock to slnk it and to be expelled and excluded therefrom to raise and sustain it afloat, and centrifugal pumps to expel the water, but as these features form no part of the invention, it is not deemed necessary to show them or describe them.

The device forming the particular subject of this invention, in connection with the dock, is applied to and connects the adjacent ends of the wings. This device consists of means adapted to securely and flexibly connect the adjacent ends of the sections together and means adapted to positively hold the adjacent ends of the sections in practically perfect alinement in all directions and also positively hold them spaced apart.

The connecting means for the sections embody pairs of plates9 secured to the inner and outer faces of the wings at their adjacent ends in spaced relation and so that the plates on the corresponding faces of the Wings aline with each other, and links 10, the opposite ends of which extend between adjacent pairs of plates at adjacent ends of the sections, and being secured by pins 11 extending through the pairs of plates and the ends of the links.

The spacing and alining means for the sections embody tongue members 12 and groove members 13 adapted to receive the tongue members. Each tongue member 12 is formed of plates 14, their inner ends secured to the end faces of the wings at the inner end of the section 1, a plate 15 connecting and bracing the plates 14 adjacent their outer ends and plates 16 bridging and connecting the outer ends of the plates 14. Each groove member 13 is formed of plates 17 their inner ends secured to the end faces of the wings at the innerend of the section 2 opposite the plates 14 on the section 1, a plate 18 connecting and bracing the plates 17 adjacent their outer ends, plates 19 secured to and bracing the plates 17, a plate 20 secured between the outer ends of the plates 17 and plates 21 bridging and connecting the plates 17 at their outer side edges.

From the foregoing description, considered in connection with the drawings, it will be readily understood that when the ends of the sections having the tongue members and groove members are brought together in proper relation, the tongue members will engage the groove members and space the sections apart in perfect alinement and that when the links are secured between the pairs of plates at the adjacent ends of the sections, said sections will be flexibly connected together.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the specific details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall within the scope of my inven tion and the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a sectional floating dry dock, means adapted to space and aline the sections in all directions, consisting of laterally spaced groove members at one end of each section and laterally spaced tongue members at the other end of each section, said tongue members being adapted to extend into and disconnectedly engage the groove members and means independent of the spacing, and alining means adapted to connect the sections and hold the tongue members and groove members in engagement, substantially as described.

2. In a sectional floating dry dock, means adapted to space and aline the sections in all directions, consisting of laterally spaced groove members at one end of each wing of each section, and laterally spaced tongue members at the other end of each wing of each section, said tongue members being adapted to extend into and disconnectedly engage the groove members and means independent of the spacing and alining means adapted to connect the sections and hold the tongue members and groove members in engagement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof-I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM THOMAS DONNELLY.

Witnesses:

Jos. T. MULLIGAN, J. M. ABRAMs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

